First off let me say I love my new 08 335i Coupe. Just curious. This is my first BMW and I came from a honda accord. On the road I noticed that the ride is bumpier than my honda and wanted to know if that was normal because I have 18s and low profile tires. When the freeway is freshly paved its smooth as silk but when it has ridges I feel the bumps more than my honda..

When your wheel tire combo resemble wagon wheels, the ride will as well. The lower the tire profile, the stiffer the sidewalls, and that results in a harsh ride on less than smooth roads.

I think you'll soon embrace that occasional "bumpiness." I'm coming from the Lexus line-up where absolute isolation from the road was the focus. In the 335i coupe, the level of communication with the road (and that includes the road's imperfections) is a refreshing change.

Anyone care to chime in about the effect of the RFTs?

It is a combination of tires profile, RFT stiffness and suspension tuneup and bushings I believe which BMW specifically designs to transmit some road feel, although not as much as the e36 which is still considered the most communicative BMW ever, giving you accurate feedback of the road. I recall an article in R&T on the e36 M3 and they said the if you stacked 2 quarters on top of each other and drove over them, you'd feel it! Now that is communicative. Some may dislike that, in which case they are recommended to buy a MB or Lexus.

Did you get tire/wheel insurance? With those wheels and tires, it might be worthwhile.

it's a "feature" of a BMW... drive an M car sometime, the bumps are even more pronounced

Anyone care to chime in about the affect of the RFTs?

having replaced my RFTs with conventional all-season UHPs i can assure you that the majority of the choppiness and bumpiness is coming from the RFTs.

the proof is in the pudding. the results of my switch to UHPs has resulted in the elimination of choppiness and rough ride. it is like having a different car. the smartest thing i have done this year was to lose the RFTs.

i had the bridgestone RFTs which, based upon comments in this forum, are the worst of the lot.

cp

having replaced my RFTs with conventional all-season UHPs i can assure you that the majority of the choppiness and bumpiness is coming from the RFTs.

the proof is in the pudding. the results of my switch to UHPs has resulted in the elimination of choppiness and rough ride. it is like having a different car. the smartest thing i have done this year was to lose the RFTs.

i had the bridgestone RFTs which, based upon comments in this forum, are the worst of the lot.

cp

Did you buy a donut spare? I am considering switching and just saving the RFT with some tread still on them to put back on when I do my lease return.

yes, and it was worth the investment. i hated my RFTs. i have my RFTs stored in my garage (only 4k miles on them) and i will also put them back on my car at the end of my lease if i don't purchase it.

http://leatherz.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=01&Product_Code=SpaceSaverSpare&Category_Code=SafetyConvenience

Comparing the ride of an Accord to sport coupe is a little silly. The RFTs do get upset on some rippled surface easier than I expected.

But it really depends on what you came from...my Z with 20s was a lot stiffer. But that's how you get handling. And note that 335 is considered more compliant that other cars like the m3.

I have the "maligned" Bridgestones, but there must be something wrong with me. I LOVE how my car feels, even on bumpy roads. I've had cars that isolated you (my Lexus LS400 was as entertaining as taking my family room for a spin :-( and even Mercedes seems to be headed toward more isolation from "feeling" anything when you drive. I have never felt so connected to the road as I am in either of my 335's, both of which have the RFT Bridgestones.

That's my story and I'm sticking with it..........

Just to state the obvious make sure your tire pressure is correct. When I picked up my wife's 328 conv. the dealer's prep. guys had failed to adj. the tire pressure from transport. It was 42/48 when it's supposed to be 32/38, rode like I was driving on marbles and almost turned around to take it back to them. Found the problem when I got home and adjusted them the following morning.

I'm with the other poster, I hate the run-flats. If it was my car and not my wife's they would have been gone already.

Well I love the car. They just need to repave all the freeways and roads to make way for our 335s. lol

tallen i got ripped a little too for comparing my 335 to my old camry's ride when i first got it. i noticed the bumpiness of the 335 but i ended up discovering that it was just the horrible crappy run flats.. they are just bad tires that wear out exceedingly fast and create a bumpy ride. i've put 7000 miles on my tires and i need to get them rotated this weekend. the back tires have significant wear on them already. right before i got my procede i was having traction issues and now that i got it in i am having more pronounced traction issues when i do hit the gas. anyhow, i can't imagine i will get much more than another 7000 miles out of these tires. hell, i'm not even sure i want them for another 7000 miles.

Anyone care to chime in about the affect of the RFTs?

The RFTs are a big source of "bumps" and harsh feedback when a severe depression hits those tires....

Everyone complains about those Bridgestones, but man do they hold traction. Better than any other high performance tire I've owned recently and some of those were pretty darn good. Those things are awesome around turns and hardly chirp depite acceleration comparable to nearly any production sports car out there. I agree they aren't the best for daily driving neccessarily, but I'd much rather feel the bumps and pay for a set a year then to give up any composure around the turns this machine has.

I do concede that the non-RFT version is likely a better ride. There are lots of tire options to smooth out the ride a little, but you always trade performance for luxury a little.

Grip isn't not related to RF design. You can get the same tire in NON RF and have the same grip.

Just to state the obvious make sure your tire pressure is correct. When I picked up my wife's 328 conv. the dealer's prep. guys had failed to adj. the tire pressure from transport. It was 42/48 when it's supposed to be 32/38, rode like I was driving on marbles and almost turned around to take it back to them. Found the problem when I got home and adjusted them the following morning.

I'm with the other poster, I hate the run-flats. If it was my car and not my wife's they would have been gone already.

I meant to suggest this earlier. It's gotten to where I should take a tire pressure gauge with me for test drives. The tires are overinflated for transport, and sometimes the dealer neglects to release the excess air. Can really kill ride quality.

The stock RFT's on the Sport Package 18" wheels have a tread wear rating of 140, so they will certainly wear out quickly. Trade them for a higher tread wear rating and the lateral grip will suffer accordingly.
I have 6500 miles on mine and am pndering what to go with next. Do I stay with these that are matched to the suspension tuning or do I go with some Eagle F1's or Micky PS2's?
I have all Winter (with my 17" Dunlops Wintersport M3's) to think this over.

Al. Wise